An accomplished veteran of the academic and private sectors, Dr Peter Kerr will advance the Business Development and Professional Sales stream of the one-year intensive Master of Business Administration (MBA) offered at the University of New Brunswick (UNB) Saint John.

“The biggest attraction to this position was that ‘UNB gets it.’ It is the first and only school in Canada that offers an MBA programme with a sales focus,” said Dr Kerr. His recent appointment as associate professor and the first chair of applied research in sales has propelled UNB to leadership in Canadian post-secondary sales education.

“If you think about applied research, it is essential to understand the context in which the research is being done – for example, the types of business models and the industry dynamics. It is about understanding specific practical problems instead of potential theoretical issues. I’ve spent 25 years working across different industries with different business models, and my PhD has given me the academic rigour to apply this knowledge to conduct high-quality sales research, effectively balancing academia with industry practice,” said Dr Kerr.

UNB is now ‘brilliantly placed’

Businessman Chris Weir, an instructor in the programme, said with the appointment of Dr Kerr, UNB is “brilliantly placed” to provide value for companies in growing export markets. “Dr Kerr brings exceptional research on best practices, what is really going to work and what is not going to work, so you can cut through the fluff and get right down to the practical advancement and growth of the business. He is setting up a programme which will allow businesses to participate in accessing the learning from the programme and the students in it to a degree that they haven’t been able to do before. I’m really bullish on that,” Weir said.

A focus on practical experience and professional growth

Dr Kerr’s vision is to build a reputation within the academic community and the private sector, making the Business Development and Professional Sales stream the first choice for students aspiring to a career in sales or elsewhere in the business world where sales skills are critical to success: “I would like to see UNB recognised as a top-tier university in sales-related research and education so that when someone is thinking about sales education and research in Canada, UNB will come to mind first.”

The programme is accredited by the Certified Professional Sales Association (CPSA), and students who complete the requisite courses may seek their Certified Sales Professional Designation. “Sales students can ramp up quickly, with significantly less employee turnover, and they can save their companies a lot of money in training in additional recruiting from turnover,” Dr Kerr said. This approach benefits students and provides significant value to potential employers.

Innovative teaching methods and simulation games

The programme’s teaching methods include role-playing using artificial intelligence (AI) bots. Dr Kerr, who founded his own educational sales simulation game business, is developing sales-related games that allow students to practise their negotiation and sales management skills in a realistic, interactive environment. “Not only does the bot carry on a sales conversation with you based on what you are saying to it, but it also evaluates your ability to establish rapport and ask the right questions to understand client needs,” he said.

Collaboration with the business community is a cornerstone. Dr Kerr is well-connected and plans to host guest speakers and involve them in research projects. “We partner with the CPSA, so we already have certain requirements to maintain. They lay out the competencies of professional salespeople, and we match our programmes to that competency framework,” he said. This partnership ensures the programme remains aligned with industry standards and best practices.

Changing mistaken perceptions

The programme’s applied research component offers numerous opportunities for students to engage with real-world business challenges. Dr Kerr envisions a dynamic interaction between students and business, where applied research projects become course assignments and conferences provide networking opportunities. “The more we can bring business in under the umbrella of applied research, the more we can integrate them and network them with the students,” he explains.

Dr Kerr wants to change perceptions of sales as a career. He said many students are surprised that their ideal job descriptions often align with sales roles. “It is a huge surprise to them because people’s perceptions of sales and the reality of professional selling are completely different. We want to break that paradigm so students see it as a legitimate professional career,” he said. 

Sales experts are made, not born

Weir says Dr Kerr will prove that effective sales techniques can be taught even to people who don’t think they have the aptitude. “Sales is a collection of micro-skills. If a person focuses on that area, they can improve that area. The more you practice, the more you get it,” Weir said. “Dr Kerr’s innovative approach ensures that UNB remains at the forefront of sales education, preparing students for successful careers and providing valuable insights to the business community.”